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The Devastating Consequences of False Memories

Raise your hand if you've ever had to remember something. I
hope that everyone's hand is raised. Now, raise your other hand if you've ever
had a false memory, that is, a past recollection
you've had which turned out to be completely false. Okay, your hand(s) do not need to be raised anymore.
I mean, you look kind of funny just sitting there with your hand in the air, especially
if you have both of them up. Besides, how are you supposed to keep scrolling
through this blog without using your hands!? Regardless of whether you have ever
experienced a false memory before, chances are you're going to be just as
fascinated as I am about recent research performed at the University of North
Florida.

First, we'll begin some relevant information on the
background and prevalence of false memories. "Research on false memories, which
has increased dramatically in the past decade, has mainly focused on the
cognitive influences that lead to the creation of false memories, such as the
theoretical causes of decreased memory strength and source confusion" (Leding,
2012). With all of this in mind, you may be asking yourself, "Causes? You mean
this is a phenomenon which doesn't just occur naturally?" If so, you're in
luck, because this very question was targeted and researched throughout Juliana
K. Leding's article, False Memories and Persuasion Strategies. You may also be
asking yourself, "Why is all of this even of importance? Does it even matter?"
To answer this, we need look no further than some of the cases highlighted at
the beginning of Leding's article.

Remember back to the Washington D.C. area sniper accounts
from 2002. Chances are you're like me and remember the hype surrounding the existence
of the likely getaway car, a white van. The reasoning for this was the reports
given by witnesses at the sites of various attacks, many of whom identified a
white van. Only later, after ten people lost their lives, did we learn the true
getaway vehicle, a blue sedan specifically outfitted and rigged to serve as a
shooting bunker. In 2009, James Bain was finally exonerated for his crimes
related to kidnapping and rape. Bain had been initially identified in a line-up
by the victim, a 9 year old boy. New DNA evidence showed that Bain was not in
fact guilty of the crime. He had spent 35 years behind bars. Finally, and most
disturbingly, the article mentions the story of Paul Ingram, who in 1988 "was
accused and interrogated for committing various crimes, including raping his
daughters and taking part in a satanic cult ritual that killed infants. Through
a series of interrogations that took place over 5 months, Ingram confessed to
every allegation and actually formed memories for every single charge that was
brought against him, even though there was no physical evidence that these
events had occurred" (Leding, 2012).

Each of the aforementioned examples represents instances in
which the existence and reliance upon false memories resulted in disastrous
consequences for the parties involved. Accordingly, society demands answers as
to how these errors could possibly be regarded as fact. But the multiple
independent witnesses who reported the white van in the D.C. shootings had no motivation
to lie about the circumstances. And there's no evidence to suggest that James
Bain made up such horrific stories about crimes just so that he could ascertain
the highest amount of punishment possible. So then what in fact is causing this
phenomenon of fake memories?

According to the article, the answer relates to persuasion
strategies utilized by authority figures (detective, interrogator, therapist,
etc.) throughout their involvement with
various parties, be it the defendant, witness, victim, etc. Detailing the
various ways by which an authority figure might attribute to the creation of
false memories accounts for just some of the reasoning which Leding uses to
support her case. Eyewitnesses, for example, are inherently viewed by
detectives as being a rich source of information, and since it is the
responsibility of the detective to solve the crime, "that detective has the
incentive to get as much information as possible out of the eyewitness. If that
detective use any of the persuasive strategies discussed above, the eyewitness
might inadvertently form false memories due to the persuasive nature of the
interview and the detective" (Leding, 2012).

For me, the very suggestion that authoritative figures, the
very people we trust to protect and keep us safe, may play some inadvertent role
in contributing to potentially devastating false memories, is more than enough
reason to warrant further research.